Lauren Dalhaus began working at Rainbows in 2023 as a Grant Writer and is now Grant Coordinator. Lauren was introduced to Rainbows at a young age, when two of her family members received services. One of which was on a poster. Growing up, she watched her mom and aunt work for Rainbows United. With the experience of seeing them love what they did, and the connection to another staff member at Rainbows, Lauren felt like this would be a great spot to grow in!
Lauren is a determined individual that has her MA in Spanish from WSU, as well as certificates in Spanish for the Professions and Hispanic Cultural Studies. She has plans to get her PhD next.
During her day at Rainbows, she completes a mixture of research where she works with other departments to get information and ideas, as well as writing, revising, and compiling data to determine outcomes for grant reports and proposals. Even during her busy days, she enjoys walking through the building to see the children playing, which she finds adorable.
Lauren is a valued member of Rainbows, where even her supervisor, Lindsay Kral, Vice President of Programs and Services says, “Lauren has brought a fresh and engaging perspective to our work at Rainbows. She has the ability to craft compelling narratives and articulate ideas in new ways. We are thrilled to have Lauren on our Team!”
One of Laurens’ biggest achievements while working at Rainbows has been being able to learn how to complete quarterly reports for the Sedgwick County Developmental Disability Organization. Lauren states, “determining the outcomes for the programs we receive funding for is complicated and labor intensive”. She goes on to say, “getting to the point where I understood any of it felt like a huge victory”.
In her free time, she loves to read books, explore, listen to Spanish punk music, and try to get everyone she knows to play Dutch Blitz with her. On top of that, Lauren and her wife love being aunts to their niece and nephew. Lauren states that they are “the best part” of her life, and that her most prized possession is a family portrait that her niece drew of the four of them in their home.
